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Sunday, June 5, 2011

New Music Tuesday - June 6, 2011 (epic)

So much new music this week!

Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and See
Regardless of how good a songwriter Alex Turner may be, this album is further proof that the boys in this band are horrible at naming things. On early listen, however, this album is a great progression for this band (much better than Humbug, but I could never get into that one). I prefer the hard rock to the prog rock approach, much better.
Listen: "Brick by Brick"

Battles - Gloss Drop
I just heard of this band recently, but I can already tell that their music is a lot of fun. Their songs are crazy and random, as their videos...LOVE!
Watch: "Ice Cream"

Black Lips - Arabia Mountain
Silly and irreverent, these guys don't give a f***. They became known for their shenanigans on stage, but have calmed down a bit over the past couple of years. Their music still has that crazy, don't-care edge, but it's interesting to see them grow up a bit.
Watch: "Modern Art"

Cults - Cults
I feel like I've already heard all the songs on this album through the band posting them to You-Tube over the past few months. I already knew I loved them and, finally, we get the full-length release. Listening to the stream on NPR, they have definitely made the wait well worth it.
Watch: "You Know What I Mean"

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - It's a Corporate World
Touted as being for fans of David Bowie and the Talking Heads...I don't think they're that good, but they're a good listen. Easy to tell from the name and the album artwork that this is a band about having fun.
Listen: "Morning Thought"

F**ked Up - David Comes to Life
Hardcore punk really isn't my favorite genre, it can be a bit much to listen to. This band brings something truly unique to it, though. There's real musicianship, as evidenced by complex instrumentation and guitars you can actually hear. Then there's the lyrics that, while screamed, are actually comprehensible.
Listen: "A Little Death"

Hooray for Earth - True Loves
Another newer band for me, they kind of remind me of a more subdued version of Yeasayer. I like it so far.
Watch: "True Loves"

Sondre Lerche - Sondre Lerche
Some of the best pop comes from Scandinavia, this artist from Norway. He may be one of the broadest artists out there, having done everything from pop, new wave and even jazz...and he's done all of them well. I'm told this release introduces some bossa nova (squeeeeaaalllll!) So excited to hear how he introduces that sound!
Listen: "Ricochet"

The Vines - Future Primitive
This Australian band came out around the same time as many other "The" bands (The White Stripes, The Hives, The Strokes) and got thrown into the same group as the rest of 'em, though I like to think each one has their own interesting qualities. The timing of this release is interesting, on the heels of a long-awaited release from The Strokes and the official break-up of The White Stripes. It will be interesting to see whether they've managed to grow or change their sound the way that their peers did over their spans.
Watch: "Gimme Love"